Hallie’s stomach twisted. She turned to Duncan, who had just taken Dagny’s arm to guide her into the parlor. “Call me Hallie, Duncan, please.”
The huge man nodded, then gently guided her sister into the other room, talking to her softly.
Hallie walked down the hallway. The door to Kit’s study was open, and Hallie could hear the sound of Liv and the twins’ voices, arguing. She looked into the room. Liv, the twins, and Maddie were stooped over something behind Kit’s massive desk.
“What’s going on?” Hallie asked.
Maddie smiled and waved her in, and Knut’s head popped up. “It’s the kittens, Hallie! The cat had her kittens!”
“Mycat had her kittens,” Liv corrected.
Hallie walked over to the desk, and there, settled deep in the bottom drawer of Kit’s desk, was Mrs. Skunk and five little newborn kittens.
“Oh, they’re so cute, Liv.” Hallie watched the kittens squirm blindly around their mother’s belly.
“They look like wet rats,” Gunnar decided.
“So did you,” Liv retorted. “I remember.”
Gunnar stuck his tongue out at Liv, but Knut looked horrified. “Me too?”
“That’s enough,” Maddie warned.
“Do we get to keep them?” Knut asked.
“That’s up to Liv. They’re her responsibility,” Maddie answered, drawing Hallie out of hearing range.
“What did the doctor say?”
“Same as before,” Hallie told her. “He did say we shouldn’t keep her shut up in her room. He suggested that she be around the family as much as possible, and he thought that reading and talking to her was a good idea. He said he felt she wouldn’t be able to block us out of her mind forever, but we have to be patient.”
“Where is she now?” Maddie glanced into the hall, looking for Dagny.
“Duncan is with her, in the parlor.”
Maddie nodded and then placed her hand gently on Hallie’s arm. “Abner got away, Hallie. Kit told me.”
Hallie shook her head.
“They’ll catch him,” Maddie said with conviction.
Hallie nodded and then glanced at the children, who were huddled around the drawer, whispering like conspirators.
Maddie called out to them, “Come on you three, it’s time to let the new mother alone for a while.”
Hallie wondered if Kit was still home, but she wasn’t sure she wanted to ask Maddie. It seemed like every time Hallie mentioned his name lately, Maddie started in, listing his faults. Hallie didn’t need to listen to them because she knew them all. She mentally recited them herself whenever she couldn’t get him out of her head, and those times were increasing to the point that she wondered if she were obsessed with him.
It was then that her obsession stuck his handsome head in the room. “Where’s the new mother?”
“In your bottom desk drawer,” Maddie told him as she left the room.
Kit groaned and went over to inspect the damage, squatting just behind Liv. “Those are my contracts,” he said.
Liv patted his shoulder gently. “They made a wonderful bed for her, see?” She glowed with pride and a tenderness that Hallie hadn’t seen in Liv since the death of their mother.
Kit covered her hand with his, patting her in turn as he shook his head at the drawer and its new occupants.
Knut jumped up. “Liv’s gonna keep ‘em all, an’ she said we get to help her take care of them, an’ Kit, y’know what?”
